Some players make you want to draw, and there was Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver on draft night scribbling down possible formations and pass rushes as he waited for Oakland's first pick to arrive.

The Raiders got their man, taking Buffalo outside linebacker Khalil Mack with the fifth pick of the first round, and the special athlete now has teammates excited after a month of practices and a three-day minicamp, which ended Thursday.

Offensive tackle Donald Penn said the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Mack "moves like a defensive back" and "has a motor that's relentless." Quarterback Matt Schaub said it's early and players aren't wearing pads yet, but he can see the comparison to his former Texans teammate J.J. Watt, the 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

"You can see the impact that he can create," Schaub said. "You can see his physical gifts and his ability to shed blockers and be able to disrupt the passer and the timing of the route."

Even coach Dennis Allen, who'd rather bite his tongue than make grand overstatements, has been gushing over Mack. He said Mack's power, length and ability to bend and move reminds him of feared Broncos pass rusher Von Miller, who Allen coached in Denver in 2011.

"I know we've thrown out some comparisons, I've thrown out some comparisons, but really I'm focused on Khalil Mack being the best football player that he can be," Allen said. "I think he's an outstanding talent. I think he's got a huge upside. If he continues to work the way that he has, I think he'll fulfill those goals and the expectations that we have of him."

Mack doesn't worry about the expectations to be a playmaker.

"I'm a relaxed individual," Mack said. "I don't really think 'pressure, pressure, pressure.' I think, 'OK, this is what it is, work on this, work on that, do your job.' "

Mack will start at strong-side outside linebacker, but will also move around and have his hand on the ground as a third-down pass rusher.

"We've got his head spinning right now, which is a good thing," Allen said. "We're going to throw as much at him as we can into the early part of training camp, and then we'll settle down into the things we can execute as a team at a high level."

Mack said he is still getting comfortable before each play, figuring out all of the defensive calls by teammates.

"It is a lot of voices behind my head, trying to figure out what safeties are saying," Mack said. "You've got to listen to the right things. I'm trying to break down and assess the game at a high level like those guys are."